Change is in the Heir
by mirthfool
Summary: The Britannian Imperial Court is a nest of vipers to the inattentive and uninitiated, where every minor slight must be smoothed over, lest the infraction fester and spiral into something uncontrollable and even life threatening. Awakening as Florian la Britannia, Fifth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, I was about to experience this danger firsthand. Self-Insert / OC Prince


Chapter 1: **The Flower Prince**

* * *

"Florian? Florian! Are you paying attention at all?!" Mother queried with bemused exasperation. "I cannot believe you sent Clovis off in such a manner, what on earth brought that about?"

Snapping shut my book, _L'héritage républicain libéral de Machiavel_, I favored my mother with an inquisitive eye. "Oh he's melodramatic to a fault, I merely… encouraged him to be a bit less daft," I drawled, unashamedly stone-faced.

"You told him he needed to utilize every brain cell in his skull just to exist!" she laughed.

"Alright, perhaps I was a little overzealous," I acceded, not being able to hold back my smirk. To that, Gabrielle la Brittania merely cuffed me lightly on the head, huffing softly.

"You absolutely insufferable little git, who knew my quiet little boy could be such a bad-mouthing brat?" she mused good-naturedly, drawing me close enough to her that I could smell her distinctive Honeysuckle and Davana perfume. "He could use the encouragement, but be gentler."

"I serve at your pleasure, Mother," I regally pronounced, not able to hold back my grin and earning myself another cuff. "Perhaps I will go and smooth things over with brother?"

"Yes, 'twoud be good of you, dear," she smiled, mollified. "Oh and be sure to prepare yourself for the Marquess of Abergavenny's meeting, he was most impressed with your latest research."

I nodded sincerely, and tucked my book into my breast pocket, mentally noting the page I'd stopped reading on. It always struck me how motherly Gabrielle was being, considering Empress Marianne vi Brittania's overwhelming love and affection for her children had been portrayed as unique. Indeed, it was most bizarre.

Well, I supposed it was no more bizarre than awakening to find myself the Fifth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and 10th in line for the throne.

There had been neither blinding beams of light, nor apocryphal rhetoric from any Code Bearer hell bent on exacting a contract on me. My arrival to this plane of existence had simply… occurred. One day, I had awoken in the poshest bed I had ever seen and looked into the mirror to stare at a dashingly handsome and incredibly unfamiliar face. Sheer panic had wracked my being until Gabrielle had swept into the room in all her gallantry, seen my utterly disheveled state on the floor, and wrapped me in her arms without a second word.

"_Florian la Brittania_, _I will find whoever has caused you such pain and_ destroy _them," she had quietly murmured as my sobs subsided. "This, I vow to you."_

"_P-please, there's no need for __一 __it's not what you think," I had weakly choked out, struggling to find the right words._

"_Then, whatever it is that weighs heavy on your chest, know that I will move heaven and earth to relieve you of it," she continued, stroking my hair softly. Then, she had lifted me firmly, tucked me into that massive bed, and that was that._

My panic and fear only heightened as I continued my princely duties, of which I had no understanding or training on. Interact with my siblings was by far the worst, knowing who they were and exactly what they were capable of was not an issue I wished to embroil myself in, just yet. Strangely, Gabrielle stepping in and declaring I was "unwell" and needed time off to recuperate seemed to dissuade them from assessing me too closely.

The Emperor was a constant concern from the second I realized my predicament, and I had even gone out of my way to discreetly gauge his reaction to his son being hijacked by another person by asking Gabrielle furtive questions. She merely looked at me weirdly, before telling me the Emperor did not really concern himself with his children, barring certain circumstances.

Of course, this did not leave me with any confidence that I had somehow slipped under the radar of that vile Geass Order the Emperor lead. Far from it, in fact; the paranoia that my mind had been一or was currently being一tampered with had left me with countless anxiety-laden nightmares and the constant vigilance I maintained was exhausting.

Court politics and intrigue did not make the going easier, as they simply added a second, more deadly, layer to the calculus of things. The Britannian Imperial Court is a nest of vipers to the inattentive and uninitiated, where every minor slight must be smoothed over, lest the infraction fester and spiral into something uncontrollable and even life threatening.

Lelouch himself would prove this soon enough with Marianne's death, unless I tried to intervene. Though of course, if I did, that would be an entirely different can of worms I'd open up. Needless to say, that avenue of action alone had caused me great consternation, particularly given the fact that I actually did reside in a position of power with which to affect change.

But in what capacity could I really change things? And to what end? I would never match Schneizel in his mastery of strategy and tactical thinking, nor did I have the stomach for actually making the same unilateral decisions like Lelouch will in the future. Additionally, suffering the debilitating side effects of acquiring a Geass ability to compensate my failings did not exactly sound entirely appealing.

It was these ruminations that occupied my mind when I ran smack into the Second Prince's chest, landing on my rear in a most un-princely fashion and knocking my book from my pocket.

"Florian! My apologies, that was embarrassing of me," Schneizel chuckled. "How are you doing?"

"Not to worry, your chest remains as good an airbag as always," I quipped, rubbing my head. Leave it to Schneizel to ambush a man in deep thought. "Besides, it was my fault."

"Ah, and what's this? A treatise on Machiavelli's political theory? Why, Florian, I had no idea you were interested in politics!" Schneizel praised as I stooped to pick it up.

"Well, yes, considering his majesty's _de facto_ foreign policy of 'might is right,' I thought it prudent to immerse myself on the subject," I primly responded, hoping to stave off any dangerous questions. I had never particularly liked Schneizel, both in visual media, and now, in person.

"Oh?" Schneizel questioned, eyes glinting sharply. "Do you disagree?" Ah, I'd answered poorly.

"N-no, not per se… you know I really ought to find Clovis, Mother was displeased with me and一" I cut off my stammering when Schneizel simply stared me down calmly and capitalized on his superior height. The bastard always knew how to put me in a corner.

"Fine, I am uncomfortable with the policy, is that what you wanted to hear?" I ground out. "Shall I fetch the cuffs now or will a pistol suffice?"

"Heavens above, Florian, and they call Clovis the dramatic one," Schneizel sighed, raising his hands in surrender. "No, I just wished to hear an honest opinion, the sycophants were particularly annoying today."

As a peace offering, he stepped aside and bade me follow him.

"So what did Machiavelli have to say, brother?" Schneizel inquired, as we slowly made our way across the pavilion. "To be frank, I was a little surprised you picked him of all theorists to study, considering your disposition to imperial policy."

Was I so transparent with my true feelings? I'd have to discipline myself better, but for the time being, I could perhaps distract Schneizel with debate.

"I've read _De Principatibus_ in its entirety, but I think the vast majority of Western intellectuals have wildly mischaracterized his actual words." I began rambling, as Schneizel nodded encouragingly. "And so, I dug up some revisionist literature to confirm for myself."

"It sounds like you've put great thought into this," Schneizel commented. "And what has your research concluded?"

"You are familiar with the common notion that the translation for '_si guarda al fine_' is '_the ends justify the means_,' correct?" I prompted, waiting for Schneizel to nod to continue. "Well, a re-examination of the sum of Machiavelli's works, along with the updated and correct translation of his works led me to believe that Machiavelli never held princely government and overly expedient behavior in extreme esteem."

Animatedly I continued on, "in reality, the full sentence reads: 'in the actions of all men, and especially of princes, where there is no impartial arbiter, one must _consider_ the final result.'"

Schneizel frowned, "semantics, Machiavelli's intent with _The Prince_ is enough to serve as the final say on what the line means."

"Surely you understand the importance of words, brother? The rhetorical weight of that sentence is on the _consideration_ of the ends, not the ends in a vacuum of morality." I countered. "Case in point, in the very next chapter, Machiavelli immediately backtracks from advocating for 'doing as one pleases,' to 'avoiding those things which make a prince hated and despised."

"I suppose he was a multifaceted man," came the bland response.

"Well… he _was_; people misconstrue Machievelli as a proponent of shameless authoritarianism, but in reality, there's strong evidence to suggest he was far more balanced in his thinking."

Furrowing his brow, Schneizel, the ever-sharp statesman, caught on quickly, "you refer to the less widespread concept that Machiavelli was actually advocating for a purely republican form of government in Florence?"

"Exactly so, I would argue that his second work, _The Discourses on Livy_, is by far his most important contribution to modern political thought, and is a truer representation of his own personal philosophy." I agreed, hoping I wasn't stepping into the deep end with this line of conversation.

"I'll admit, you've piqued my interest – I've not read that particular work," Schneizel acknowledged.

"The _éminence grise_ himself hasn't read something I have?" I exaggeratedly gasped in mock surprise.

Schneizel bemusedly gave me a look a long-suffering manservant might afford on his master. "Florian, I will _accidentally_ trip you into the pool."

"Fine, fine, _The Discourses_ is essentially an extensive historical analysis of the ancient Roman republic, and is replete with Machiavelli's praise for the advantages of such a system of governance. Most notably, he goes into great detail on the ability of republics to elect the most able rulers to ensure constant adaptation to changing political climates." I asserted.

"Notably, he also expounded on the concept of 'the ends justify the means,' in _The Discourses_, since he explicitly states that 'one should reproach a man who is violent in order to destroy, not one who is violent in order to mend things," I finished quickly, hoping I hadn't irrevocably alienated perhaps the most dangerous of all my siblings.

"Hmm, well let it _not_ be said that _all_ the _la Brittanians_ are simply naive and vain royalty," Schneizel mused openly. It was a slight on Clovis' character, but out of some strange sense of familial loyalty, I felt offended on his behalf.

"Thanks for distracting us from my undiluted treason," I grumbled broodingly, the reality of the situation catching up to me.

"No no, Florian, I find your honesty quite refreshing actually," Schneizel reassured. "I think you've grown into a fine young prince, it's honestly an absolute pleasure to be able to chat with someone else besides Lelouch who thinks as deeply as you do."

"You must be joking," I flatly deflected. It was a shocking statement to say the least; I couldn't sense deceitfulness behind those shrewd eyes, but this was _Schneizel_ we were talking about.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Schneizel asked, "Florian, even if you never manage to best me at chess, you have a keen eye for politics and a deeply analytical mind that never ceases to thirst for knowledge. I daresay that you'll grow into just as fine a statesman as I am, if you so choose."

With that, he patted me affectionately on the shoulder before clasping his hands behind him and heading inside.

I could only look on in stunned silence. There was no way Schneizel meant that, could he? Why would he encourage direct competition to himself? And why didn't he even comment on my obvious distaste for imperial rule?

None of my self-reflective questions filled me with any degree of ease.

"Brother? Are you alright?" came a tinny voice from behind me.

"What?! Oh, Lelouch!" I yelped. "And how can I help you, brother?" I finished lamely, rubbing the back of my neck. Why was I so easy to sneak up on?

With all the high-born gentility and elegance I could expect from the future Emperor of Brittania, Lelouch glanced down at me in an imperious manner 一 in spite of the fact that his ten year old stature was far shorter than me 一 no doubt wondering just how we were somehow related.

"Did you actually mean what you said?" he blurted instead.

"Wait, what do - I beg your pardon?" I stammered, thrown by the non-sequitur.

"When you said that the best rulers can only be selected by a lot of people, did you mean that?" Lelouch intently asked, having no doubt overheard the conversation I had with Schneizel.

This however, filled me with even more dread, as some part of me felt as though this entire situation might serve as some sort of catalyst for future events to come. However, it felt too much like a breach of what little trust my younger brother had in me; after all, I had never been particularly close with Lelouch, as I tended to avoid the Aries Villa.

I grasped Lelouch by the shoulders, whoー6 years younger than meーseemed so small, fragile and totally incomparable to the man who would take on the mantle of Zero.

"I was only discussing political history with Schneizel," I sighed. "It was related to a book I was reading."

"Really? You seemed pretty serious." Lelouch pouted, not satisfied with my deflection.

"Oh, is that so?" I said, smiling faintly and ruffling my brother's hair. "Perhaps I should take a page out of Clovis' book then."

"Brother! You didn't answer," he barreled on, flaring a little of his demanding nature.

"Oh, alright. I merely suggested to Schneizel that a certain infamous politician might not have been entirely supportive of a monarchy, without any bounds," I acquiesced.

This seemed only to mystify Lelouch, if his raised eyebrows and widened eyes were any indication. "Florian, how could you say that? You've seen what the masses are _incapable_ of doing."

"It was only theoretical really, but thinking outside the box and reexamining commonly held notions is always a good idea," I rebuffed.

"You really think so? Mother always says to just trust my instinct," Lelouch proudly declared.

"Empress Marianne is wise to say so," I nodded. "I've always admired your self-confidence."

"Well… there you have it then!" Lelouch preened, probably a little surprised at the easy affirmation.

"However, it is never good to be _too _absolute — in either direction," I cautioned, hoping to set in place the seeds of change for the betterment of things. "Overconfidence is nothing more than arrogance, and leads to an uncritical mind that is easily outmaneuvered. Being overly timid is just as bad, as this only paralyzes you with indecision."

Lelouch considered this for a few seconds, before perceptively commenting, "but being trapped in the middle is a form of paralysis itself, isn't it?"

"It certainly can be," I agreed readily, "but you needn't treat confidence as static. Certain situations will allow you to be overconfident and totally assured of victory, whereas other situations will require a careful approach."

"Oh… I never thought of it that way," Lelouch remarked.

"Don't worry, even though I think it's sound advice for everyone, I'm not able to actually _adhere_ to it myself," I snorted. "You on the other hand, my genius little brother, will not suffer the same fate."

"Your flattery is always so nice," Lelouch giggled boyishly.

"Now, I've put off consoling Clovis for too long, but I'd love to have another round of chess with you later," I said, not at all looking forward to it, but hesitant to push Lelouch — and this world's events — further away from the norm.

"Oh I'll definitely take you up on that," Lelouch exclaimed, cheekily adding, "I do believe the tally is 24 - 0, no?"

"Hah! I'll never best your superior intellect," I laughed, shaking my head melodramatically. "I'll look forward to forcing you to another draw though."

"That was _once_, brother, you snarky bastard," Lelouch called out, while I only waved good-naturedly at him as I left.

It always felt like such a massive endeavor in attempting to guide Lelouch down a stronger and better path. This was partially due to my disgust with the concept of actually _manipulating_ Lelouch — what was I, the Emperor? Preferably, I did not want to have to stoop so low and irrevocably sully myself just to save my brother. Besides that, if Lelouch ever found out, or even perceived me, as to be manipulating him, I doubted I would survive the ensuing retribution.

As much as I dearly longed to see Lelouch happy, safe and fulfilled, some small part of me was utterly terrified of him.

* * *

A/N: Thank you very much for reading my first fanfiction story. I've wanted to write a self-insert Code Geass Fanfiction story for the longest time, one that's more serious and heavy-handed with politics and the details of the Code Geass world. I'll be following the canon timeline and story as much as possible, but I also wish to use Florian as a tool of change in this universe.

My self-insert OC is not going to be overpowered or all-knowing, nor is he an invincible warriors who can plow through hundreds of enemy knightmare frames alone. Instead, this story seeks to be a more realistic exploration of the inner-workings of Britannia as a country, and expound on the backstories/origins that may have been glossed over in the original series.

Thank you again for your interest in this story, please leave a comment/review. Whether you liked or disliked this, I would greatly appreciate any and all of your feedback. I strive to improve myself as a writer constantly, and I consider honest feedback the best way to do so.


End file.
